A coalition of about 13 civil society groups, under the auspices of Gender Mainstreaming and Governance Advocacy in Nigeria, has lauded the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari by President Muhammadu Buhari as acting chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a press briefing in Abuja recently, the Coalition said the appointment of a woman who has successfully conducted two elections in 2011 and 2015 is not only unprecedented but shows high sensitivity to gender equality.
The group further appealed to President Buhari to forward her name to the National Assembly for confirmation as INEC chairperson, positing that as female activists and judging from her antecedents, they were convinced that Zakari was appointed on merit.
In the statement which was read by Joy Ezeilo of Women Aids Collective (WACOL), the Coalition decried the recent hullabaloo over Zakari’s appointment, stressing that her flawless record cannot be faulted by any person or group, including the opposition party.
Also speaking, the executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), said “the change we have been clamouring for cannot be complete without mainstreaming women in leadership”.